Generations of Berks and Schuylkill county residents have passed along stories of gruesome murders and ghosts on Hawk Mountain like heirlooms, making the legend of Schaumboch's Tavern all the more mysterious.

And reports of finding human bones in wells around the tavern only fueled the mystery.

That was many years ago, and today the Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Association owns the tavern and uses it to house employees. The building served as Hawk Mountain Sanctuary's headquarters from 1938 to 1975.

But, Hawk Mountain Sanctuary officials have yet to piece together the tavern's complete history, including the violent reign of one of its inhabitants -- Matthias Schaumboch, who was also known as Schambacher.

"It's not unique to have a story like that of Schaumboch's," said Cynthia Lenhart, executive director of Hawk Mountain Sanctuary. "All mountains have natural folklore."

Stories of the notorious Schaumboch and how he supposedly lured weary travelers to his barn to be killed still linger like a ghost. Some believe the ghost of Schaumboch roams the mountain and eerie sounds have been reported in the tavern, adding to the mountain's mystique.

In 1850, Schaumboch came to the two-room dwelling, which was built before 1793, and established it as a tavern for peddlers and others traveling to the unsettled north.

Stories of disappearing salesmen circulated through the community. There were tales of locals hearing screams and moans coming from the barn and of being chased away by a bloody hatchet-wielding Schaumboch.

Speculation grew as Schaumboch would bring clothing and other items to town to sell. In a story related to Maurice Broun, who lived in the tavern from 1932 to 1966, days after a merchant selling Civil War uniforms disappeared, Schaumboch was seen trying to sell the same articles. The merchant was last seen at the tavern, Broun wrote in his book, "Hawks Aloft."

There are no court documents indicating legal action was ever taken against Schaumboch, Lenhart said.

During his stay at the tavern, Broun, the first curator for Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, asked the locals about stories of Schaumboch. In his book, he described Schaumboch as being "of medium stature, lean but unusually strong; and as definitely the silent type of scoundrel."

And although Schaumboch's grim appearance scared little children, Broun wrote that his wife, Becky, was just the opposite. She was even-tempered and liked by all.

Schaumboch died in 1879 at age 55 after suffering a mental breakdown. He is buried at New Bethel church.

William Turner, his wife and eight children were the next inhabitants of the house. Like Schaumboch, Turner maintained the tavern business.

Judy Wink, chief naturalist at the Carbon County Environmental Education Center who was friends with Broun, said the former curator told her that he found old records in the tavern.

From these records, Wink said, Broun told her that the Turners found human remains in the three wells on the property. And, Wink said, Broun found even more support for the Turners' claim outside in a hedgerow behind the house.

"Maurice told me he found some kind of bones on the property, which he attributed to be parts of skeletons found by the family," Wink said.

"When people found evidence, it probably substantiated the rumor," Wink said.

And even a very scientific man like Broun, Wink said, came to believe some of the stories of the gruesome murders of traveling merchants staying at Schaumboch's.

"He believed the rumor was stronger than rumor," Wink said.

Lenhart said she has never heard of any skeletal recoveries. But, she said, the mountain is full of such tales.

"It's kind of those oral traditions passed down," Lenhart said. "Being scientifically minded people, we have to experience it before we believe it."

Lenhart said these types of stories along with ghost stories are just part of the folklore.

Jim Brett, also a curator for Hawk Mountain, wrote in his book, "The Mountain & Migration," that "On misty evenings (Schaumboch's) presence is strongly felt in and around the Mountain Hotel," Brett wrote.

Wink said Broun had some mysterious experiences while living in Schaumboch's Tavern.

"Maurice told me he had several unexplainable things happen in the house, such as things missing or moved," Wink said.

And there were sounds throughout the house that Broun said he couldn't explain, such as knocks on the floor. But, Wink added, Broun did not believe in ghosts.

Wink said the house was in terrible condition, with broken shutters and loose hinges, which may have attributed to the sounds. There also were the animals that made their way inside for shelter.

Broun wrote about the Allegheny wood rat, or cave rat, which provided some ghost-like sounds during the first few years of his stay. The large rats made a great deal of noise, scurrying around at night, he wrote.

Broun, who died in 1979, left Hawk Mountain in 1962 and the curators who proceeded him --Alex Nady and Brett -- did not live in Schaumboch's. Hawk Mountain Sanctuary used it for storage and to house employees.

The tavern was put on the National Register of Historical Places in 1979. Since then, Hawk Mountain Sanctuary has made renovations to preserve its Revolutionary War-era style of construction.

"We've always tried to maintain the integrity of the structure," Lenhart said, estimating that Hawk Mountain Sanctuary spends a few thousand dollars each year on renovations. "It's kind of a constant thing, whatever needs doing."

Some of the furniture in the house is from Broun's stay, but Lenhart said she'd like to restore the entire interior and make it into a historical and cultural museum. Lenhart said the organization doesn't have the money to fund this kind of project, which she estimates at $250,000.

Until then, the simple dwelling, which carries a nameplate, "Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, Schaumboch's Tavern, National Register of Historical Places," will continue to house Hawk Mountain Sanctuary employees. And the mysteries surrounding the tavern will live on as well.